A WEST Devon parish council is facing troubled times, following the resignation of seven of its nine members.

The chairman of Mary Tavy Parish Council, Cllr Terry Pearce, who is also a borough councillor and former mayor of West Devon, his vice chairman Anita Prosser and five other members resigned last week.

The parish council members who have resigned have submitted a statement to the Times.

It said: 'The councillors' action came following a decision by the Standards Assessment Panel of West Devon Borough Council, in relation to a number of complaints over the behaviour of a long-serving member of Mary Tavy Parish Council.'

The statement claimed the standards committee had decided to take no further action regarding the complaints, which forced the councillors' resignations.

A spokesman for West Devon Borough Council this week confirmed the resignations.

She said: 'The borough council has powers to appoint persons to the parish council temporarily, until the May elections, in order to enable Mary Tavy Parish Council to carry on its proper business, and the council is currently working towards this.

'There have been standards complaints received by the standards committee in relation to Mary Tavy parish councillors but we cannot comment on these issues at the present time.'

The spokesman confirmed that a complaint regarding a former member of Mary Tavy Parish Council was due to be considered by West Devon's standards panel at its meeting today (Thursday).